


Matching Set

by ReyRidingHood (JediKnightley)



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Art History, But not in the usual dark empress way, Complete, Destiny, F/M, Grad student Rey, Kira Ren - Freeform, Pride and Prejudice References, Professor AU, Professor Ben Solo, Professor Kylo Ren, Rate my professor, Reincarnation AU, Soulmates, regency au, repost
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-20 16:13:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17025915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JediKnightley/pseuds/ReyRidingHood
Summary: Professor Ben Solo has one ridiculous secret: he’s been in love with the mysterious painting of a girl named Kira for almost his entire life. Despite devoting his life to studying Art History, he hasn’t been able to uncover much information on the object of his affection. Will the young Ph.D student who resembles her be able to help?Originally Written for Reylo Week 2018





	Matching Set

Ben Solo was in love with a portrait.

As ridiculous as that sounded - and boy, did he tell  _ absolutely no one  _ for fear of ridicule - he couldn’t help it. This was the portrait he saw at the small local museum by his childhood home that was responsible for him wanting to study Art History in the first place. He devoted his life to studying it and finding its place in this world, but alas, not much came up from what he already knew.

It dated from the early 19th Century, most likely English, and depicted a young woman sitting in front of an outdoor scene, facing the left, the mellow colors of daybreak behind her as she looked slightly over her shoulder at the viewer. She had a slight smile on her face, warm and inviting but also a little mischievous to match the twinkle in her hazel eye. Her style was impeccable - hair perfectly curled to frame her face, her white muslin gown with the blue silk sash accentuating the curves of her lithe frame and offsetting the pale skin and rosy blush of her complexion. She was a vision, and Ben couldn’t help but feel jealous of whoever was fortunate enough to be her husband at the time.

That’s all he knew about her, basically. She was most likely a wealthy woman, she was beautiful, and she had a spouse, since that was all that was written on the back of the painting.

_ To Kira, from your dearest love, your husband, on our wedding day. _

Ben knew better than to think this way. But she was just so captivating. There was something in the liveliness of her smile, the compassion in her eyes, the warmth of her face that drew him in. He hated to admit it, but she had ruined him for other women, and he was helpless to do anything but let her. It’s not like he had much attention from the female population anyway - some silly girls who wanted to curry favor for extra credit, maybe, but he saw right through that act. Kira would be his ideal, his everything, his ruin, and in his mind she would stay.

That is, until he saw her walk right by him through the windows of the campus coffee shop at the beginning of the semester, adjusting his glasses to make sure what he was seeing was  _ real. _

Hux had been arguing about how his classes were not nearly as popular as Ben’s, how he didn’t quite understand why the Art History department was more popular than the History one at the University of Coruscant. 

“It’s not this way at  _ any  _ other school. I don’t understand it.” Hux complained after an elegant sip of his tea. “Art is so frivolous, why do our students believe that viewing history through a rose-colored filter of paintings and sculptures is the best way to do it? What of the art of war? Politics. Evolution. Conquering."

Ben rolled his eyes at Hux’s comments, wondering why he continued to socialize with him other than the close proximity of their offices. He was just jealous of the fact that Ben’s Introduction to Renaissance and Baroque Art class had moved rooms  _ twice  _ to accommodate the size of his class and extra seats. He couldn’t help it that there were less choices for art gen eds than history ones, but Hux was being arrogant and Ben had had enough.

“Maybe you should try giving space for your students to have a little creative freedom, Hux. I’m sure your Rate My Professor scores are low because of how strict you are.”

Hux scoffed. “At least I have earned mine off of the hard work I put in and the way I run my classroom with an iron fist. Yours are only high because all the girls think you have a pretty face.”

_ Girls. Pretty face.  _ That was all he registered as she walked by. The girl wasn’t dressed in regency finery, but despite the aesthetic difference, his brain could tell it was  _ her. _ She had her lovely hair down in waves, a bright blue pair of headphones contrasting with her bright yellow dress and denim jacket. She was lost in her own little world, the music captivating her as she swayed past the windows with her hands in her jacket pockets. Her head turned, looking at the line of people waiting to get their coffee and pastries, and her smile widened to herself. She was looking in his direction now, but not directly. Not at him.

_ Notice me.  _ His brain screamed.  _ Notice me. Look over your shoulder like you do in the painting. Our eyes need to meet. _

He thought about fleeing after her, chasing dramatically, but that would be painfully out of character for him. She kept walking and disappeared all too soon, Hux barking in his ear. 

“Solo? Are you even listening to me? You’re as dreamy and sentimental as those girls who fawn over you.”

He shook his head. Why was he having those thoughts? He wasn’t normally this possessive...was he? He didn’t really know, he’d never had much of a relationship since he was in love with a phantom captured in oil paint.

All he knew was that he needed to finish his coffee before it got cold, and head to his office to prepare for the days’ schedule.

“I can’t believe you of all people actually checks Rate My Professor, Hux. And you think  _ I’m  _ the joke.”

\---

Ben settled into his office to type up his syllabus for the seminar he was also teaching on Hellenistic and Neoclassical sculpture, when he heard a knock at his open door. 

“May I come in?” A young woman’s voice - posh and British and bright as a bell chimed into the small space. Who else could that voice belong to but  _ her,  _ giving him his wish.

She was now staring directly at him - more directly than her artistic counterpart ever did. Seeing her in person was brilliant. Her smile was full now, displaying her bright, white teeth in a way that would have been downright scandalous in the Regency era. 

“I wanted to introduce myself. I’m Rey. I’m a Ph.D. student with the English department. The T.A. office moved across the hall from you while the University makes repairs to Kenobi Hall so I thought I would pop in and say hello to my neighbors!”

His heart was pounding in his ears. She was more wonderful than he’d dreamed, more beautiful than he could have imagined.  _ Rey.  _ He repeated in his head.

“That’s a lovely name, Rey.” He smiled and rose to his full height, wondering how each step he took he managed not to shake or let his heavy breathing go detected. “I’m Ben.” He stuck out his hand.

“It’s short for Aurelia. And it’s nice to meet you, Ben.” She said, taking his hand. As they touched his friendly demeanor was darkened by an inquisitive expression as his eyes roamed her face.  _ I’m yours.  _ His mind roared.  _ You belong to me, Kira. _

Her wide smile turned into a sharp breath, almost as if a look of realization hit her. God, had she been able to read his thoughts? No, that was ridiculous, but a heat rose to his cheeks at her reaction, and she regained her wide smile.

He was  _ not  _ hers. She was  _ not  _ his. Neither of them belonged to  _ anyone _ . And her name certainly was  _ not _ Kira.

But whatever had happened caused him to look away awkwardly and let out a honk of an uncomfortable laugh before turning to see her eyes wandering the room. “You, uh, like the Vermeer posters?”

“Oh, yes, he’s a favorite.” She smiled. “I love his attention to detail and use of color.”

“Well, if you have time later in the semester you could sit in on my class. We’ll be discussing Dutch Baroque.”  _ What was he doing?  _ He shouldn’t be inviting her  _ anywhere  _ given the thoughts he just had and the fact that his desktop background looked wasn’t her but looked exactly like her. The more he thought about it the more of a stalker he was automatically turning into.

She smiled. “I’d like that, very much.” One of the other Ph.D. students hollered a question from across the hall about moving the lamps in their shared office, which was her queue to take leave.

“Well, Rose requires my help, but mark my words, this isn’t the last we’ll see of each other this semester.”

“I certainly hope not.” Ben said with a nod. “Welcome to the Art History Department, Miss Rey.”

He sat back down at his desk and  _ immediately  _ changed his background to a very neutral  _ View of Delft,  _ wondering if he was left adjusting the collar of his dress shirt due to the early summer heat or the interactions he had just had with his fantasy woman come to life.

\---

She had been right, that was  _ not  _ the last time they would see each other. He just hadn’t expected the next time to be so soon.

He had actively avoided his office the next day, hoping he wouldn’t run into her once more, and made his way to the large lecture hall fifteen minutes early to prepare for his introductory course. The class before him hadn’t let out yet - that was alright, the standard amount of time between classes was ten minutes, but he was glad that he gave himself the extra five minutes to wade through the hordes of students, specifically  _ girls _ in front of the door.

They were all staring at him, whispering about his height and his hair and his handsomeness. Good lord,  _ Hux had been right. _

It didn’t matter  _ why  _ they had signed up. They were here now and he was going to do his best to teach them all about a subject he was most passionate about. But somehow he was not so sure if he’d be able to endure the sighs and swoons as the eyes of the female half of the class were upon him.

When the class let out he darted to the front of the classroom only to be followed by the droves of students fighting over who got to sit closest to the front - a first in university history, he believed. He shook his head and prepared to put his laptop bag down on the desk when he stared into  _ her  _ eyes once more.

“It’s you!” She said, with a smile and a giggle, looking out at the entirely female first three rows of the classroom. “Ben, I can’t believe it’s you - I mean I _can_ because you _are_ that good-looking, you’re just so humble..”  
“Me?”

“Professor Solo. The famously attractive one. The one my earlier students warned me about. The things they write about you on Rate My Professor…”

He let out a huff. Now she probably found him creepy  _ and  _ odd  _ and  _ a complete joke. “I was only informed of this very recently.”

“Well,” she said, packing up her own books. “I would consider it an honor. At least it gets them to come to class and pay attention, no?”

She patted him on the shoulder. “Good luck, Professor.”

As she turned he began to set up his computer for the slides he would need. He noticed a book, the edges slightly worn, sitting on his desk. She must have forgotten it, and  _ great.  _ He’d have to see her  _ again _ and face the ridicule to return her precious possession. It was too late to follow her, she was long gone to her next destination.

He picked up the copy of  _ Pride and Prejudice  _ to put in his bag when the cover caught his eye, quite making his eyes bulge out of his head. A man - a handsome man? Ben was hard at judging those kinds of things - was on the cover. He supposed it was meant to be Mr. Darcy. 

But he also very much resembled  _ Professor Solo. _

He stared at it in disbelief for a few seconds, adjusting his glasses  _ once again _ to make sure this was real. The man was dressed in black, and had raven hair that was slightly longer than his, making his pale skin pop against it. It too, was an outdoor scene, but behind him was a passionate flurry of scarlets and violets. A  _ sunset. _ The mystery sitter, whoever not-Ben he was, was staring to the right, a look into the distance that his stiff posture would dictate as stern but was actually soft and dreamy. One could call it introspective and pensive, had they gone with the reading that he was indeed looking at nothing. But Ben knew in his heart that was not the case.

This man was staring at Kira. He  _ had  _ to be. There was no other explanation for any of this.

The mysterious husband he had been so jealous of all his life was...himself? This was preposterous. The fact that  _ she  _ of all people had been carrying  _ this  _ painting around was too good to be true. He wanted to rush to her, but it would have to wait.

The notoriously punctual Professor Solo was running a minute and a half behind started schedule, due to his reflections, although it being the first day of class he was sure most of the students didn’t mind. 

He had just been given the motivation to power through the hundreds of pairs of young ladies’ eyes on him by the only young lady that mattered.

\---

Ben didn’t bother rushing back to his office after class, it was dinner time after all, she wouldn’t be in the T.A. office at this hour.

Except, she was. And she was frantically pawing through every bag, every drawer, every surface searching for something that was most likely what  _ he  _ had. 

He put his things down on his desk and grabbed the book, holding it behind his back as he approached slowly and quietly. “May I be of assistance?”

She gasped and turned to see him. “No, no, I mean...it’s just my copy of  _ Pride and Prejudice _ , I need it for the Austen course I’m teaching, I am  _ so  _ scatterbrained sometimes, I swear, the  _ one _ thing I need most to function-”

“It’s okay, you left it on the desk in our shared lecture hall. I have it.” He revealed it and held it out to her.  
She now was as red as the sunset on the cover, and rushed to him, seizing it. “Oh. My. God. I am so sorry. This is the _last_ thing I wanted to happen. I mean, _thank you._ ” She took a breath and brought a hand to her temple. “You’ve saved me a lot of trouble, and it was awfully kind of you to do this, I just...I mean you _had_ to see the cover. You must know all about how my copy is the edition with _this_ painting on the cover and not the engraving of the ballroom-”

He chuckled. “Slow down, Rey. I should be equally as embarrassed.” He pulled out his phone and opened his gallery. “This was - well  _ is  _ \- my desktop background.”

Her mouth dropped, and she looked up at him as she saw what was most likely her own reflection staring back at her. “I...you mean to tell me that...this is Kylo Ren’s wife?”

“Kira, yes. She was one of the reasons I devoted my life to studying Art History, so I could learn more about her, as crazy as that sounds. But it sounds like  _ you  _ would understand that.”

She nodded. “I was always in love with Mr. Darcy. I first read  _ Pride and Prejudice _ at the library near my childhood home. It was a plain copy where the words were too small and there was writing in it from the many students who’d needed to analyze it and someone spilled coffee on its edges. I was enthralled nonetheless, and as soon as I could I bought myself a copy. Which, according to this edition, features one Kylo Ren, a nobleman, on its cover. Not much was known about him other than he was wealthy and the portrait was painted as a gift to his wife - a matching set…”

“...On their wedding day.” Ben finished. “And he loved her very much. Why haven’t I, in all of my years, come across this?”

“The painting disappeared. No one can find it, and this edition has since gone out of print.” Rey responded. “But, at least we know the wife’s portrait exists, and you’ve seen it.”  
“Yes.” He smirked at her. “Now, where does that leave us?”

“Us?”

“Yes, I mean...it’s just...I don’t normally believe in soulmates but this is all too much of a coincidence. When we shook hands did you hear anything? I know I must sound insane to you, Rey.”

“I heard ‘You’re mine.’ and ‘I belong to you.’” She said sheepishly, unable to meet his eyes.

“Well…” He said. “I’m yours. That’s for certain. Do you...want to belong to me? I wouldn’t want to overstep my bounds. I don’t own you.”

“Yes.” She let out in a breathy tone. “I would like nothing more than to give myself to you and for you to be mine - as absolutely  _ mental _ as this is - but I feel like I know you. And...maybe I do.”

“Maybe.” He said, tilting his head and tracing a lock of hair back. “We should catch up before we get too carried away in this. Would you join me for dinner?”

“I’d like that.” She said, taking his arm.

Ben Solo knew he was no longer in love with a portrait. He was in love with the gorgeous woman it depicted, and he couldn’t wait to get to know the  _ real  _ her once again.


End file.
